travel insurance masterFall is just around the corner and these travel tips are more important than ever! You’ll always want to find the best travel insurance but how else should you prepare for your next domestic trip, international adventure, or road trip?
YOU PAID YOUR INITIAL TRIP DEPOSIT, NOW WHAT?
As soon as you put down the initial deposit on your trip, you’ll want to start thinking of a few things, the first being travel insurance. For the most options and benefits, you’ll want to purchase a plan the same day or within a set number of days after your deposit. There are many time sensitive benefits that make doing this worthwhile including Cancel for Any Reason, and the Pre-existing Medical Conditions waiver.
If you or someone you are buying insurance for has a pre-existing health condition, you should seriously consider the likelihood of it flaring up or reoccurring before or during your trip. Could it cancel or interrupt your travels? For plans without the Pre-existing Medical Conditions Waiver, normally a medical condition present prior to your travel insurance policy’s effective date would not be covered. Most plans have a look back period which means the plan investigates your medical history, anywhere from 2 to 18 months, to check if your condition appeared or was treated during that time. Look for Comprehensive Plans with a Pre-existing Medical Conditions waiver on TravelInsuranceMaster.com. If you didn’t buy your travel insurance early enough, look for a plan with a look-back period that’s shorter than the last time you registered your condition with a doctor.
Looking for the Cancel for Any Reason (CFAR) benefit? You will normally need to buy insurance within 1-21 days of initial deposit, depending on the specific plan. Cancel for Any Reason will allow you to cancel for any reason whatsoever usually up to 2 days prior to departure for a reimbursement up to 75% of your prepaid, non-refundable expenses depending on your specific plan. CFAR does not replace your regular Trip Cancellation benefit though, which would cover you 100% for covered reasons, most commonly when you, your family member, or travel companion gets sick. See your specific plan for coverages, and more details.
Always remember the earlier you buy insurance after booking your trip the better. You can buy insurance even if you have not paid for your trip in full yet. However, plans do allow you to buy coverage up until the day before you leave.
I’M ONLY TRAVELING ACROSS THE COUNTRY, DO I REALLY NEED TRAVEL INSURANCE?
If you’re traveling 100 miles or more from home, whether you’re staying in the country or traveling across the globe, the answer is Yes!
Travel insurance gives you the ultimate peace of mind for domestic trips (including road trips!), and international ones too. The reason is simple; the unexpected can happen anywhere. Any type of travel can be affected by delays and cancellations, hurricane and weather, and more. Travel insurance can even provide cost saving coverage for a rental car, and reimburse you for non-refundable prepaid trip expenses like RV rental or campground reservations if you have to cancel or shorten your road trip due to a covered reason. Emergency medical fills the gap where your regular health insurance may not offer coverage, which can be crucial outside your home country.
This may all sound complicated but it doesn’t have to be. Travelinsurancemaster.com does the research for you and partners with a number of the world’s top travel insurance providers. When you request a quote, the smart algorithm gets to work finding you the best plan and value for your specific trip and traveler details. Don’t worry about getting overwhelmed jumping from website to website trying to compare plans. Travel Insurance Master provides you with clear side by side comparisons and your very own recommended plan. It’s simple to utilize customizable filters on the left-hand side of the plan results page to narrow plans down further by the specific benefits you’re looking for, like Cancel for Work Reasons, Flight Delay, Rental Car Coverage, and more.
I BOUGHT TRAVEL INSURANCE, NOW WHAT?
You protected your travel investment, and now you’re wondering what happens if you have to make a claim. The best tip is to always take photos of what you packed. If they get lost or stolen, this can help speed up the claims process. Keep receipts of any important items you plan on bringing with you on file. Receipts are also important in the event of a claim. If you think something might be covered like extra meals or transportation while you’re delayed, hang onto the receipts and proof of loss documentation. It’s always better to have them and not need them, than to not have them when you do.
It’s also important to think about your emergency plan. This should include a list of important information like a copy of your passport, copy of your boarding pass if you’re flying, a copy of your license, important documents like a list of your medications, home contact information for who to reach if something should happen, and phone number for the local police department, to name a few. Just be sure any copies of documents are still kept secure somewhere. Give a friend or family member back at home a copy of your itinerary so that someone knows where you are and when you are expected to return.
WHAT ABOUT WHILE I’M TRAVELING?
After you purchase a plan at Travelinsurancemaster.com, you’ll receive it straight to your email for easy reference. You’ll also want to note your policy provider, policy number, and contact information in case your device runs out of battery during your travels and you cannot access it electronically. Your travel insurance plan usually has a 24-Hour Assistance Service that starts as soon as your trip does. If you lose a bag, have a medical emergency, or something else happens, you’ll be happy to have this support to help you navigate the situation with referral services and connect you to the claims department if needed.
Ready to take on a fall getaway? Visit Travelinsurancemaster.com to find the right travel insurance plan for you in just 3 easy steps!
